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𝕻𝖚𝖙 𝖄𝖔𝖚𝖗 𝕷𝖎𝖕𝖘 𝕿𝖔𝖌𝖊𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖗 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝕭𝖑𝖔𝖜 It is finally a cool summer evening in Somerset. Showers of rain muffle the sounds of the animals at the Carver farm, and Sinclair finds herself with her mother after dinner. A DVD cover for "To Have and Have Not" lays on the armrest of the couch next to a small bowl of crisps by Liz Carver's reclined figure on the olive green couch. Sinclair on the other hand, is curled up with her knees to her chest on the other end of the couch, her own bowl of chilled berries resting on her kneecaps.
This was yet again one of her mother's old movies, starring Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, a pair of actors her mother gushed about. It wouldn't have been Sinclair's first choice, but she was often willing to follow her mother's lead when it came to watching movies- she'd watch anything if it meant some more time with Liz.
Sinclair thought Lauren Bacall was absolutely stunning. Maybe it was her that kept Sinclair's attention during these movies.
--The bombshell of an actress swayed lightly as she walked in her nightgown, "You wouldn't take anything from anyone, would you?"
"That's right," Bogart's character Steve says from his chair, a lit cigarette between his fingers.
"You know, Steve... You're not very hard to figure. Only at times. Sometimes I know exactly what you're going to say....Most of the time. The other times...?" Her tone is low as she sits on his lap, hand upon his chest, "The other times you're just a stinker." She leans down and kisses Steve deeply, the smoke from the cigarette rising in the background.--
Sinclair purses her lips, her eyes flitting towards her mother awkwardly, who seems to just be enjoying this movie with not much reaction, having probably watched it many many times before. The girl looks back at the screen.
She looks incredible.
--"What'd you do that for?" Steve asks in his deep, firm tone, a smirk growing on his lips.
"I've been wondering whether I'd like it."
"What's the decision?"
"I don't know yet," Bacall's character murmurs and leans down for another, deeper kiss.--
Despite a lack of expression, the girl's face starts feeling a little warm and her eyes quickly flit between the screen and the window, feeling a little embarrassed to be watching this. She didn't know why her heart was beating faster than normal despite all her braincells telling her to remain as still as a rock and act as "normal". This wasn't the first time she'd seen people kiss so she didn't know why, but Lauren Bacall's mannerisms and on-screen chemistry with Bogart made her stomach flutter. She is a little more relieved when they stop locking lips.
--"It's even better when you help," Bacall stands up and heads to the door. "Uh.. sure you won't change your mind about this?" She asks, a few bills in her hand.
"Uh-huh," Steve nods.
"This belongs to me and so do my lips, I don't see any difference."
"Well, I do," he says to her, though a smirk curls Bacall's lip.
"Okay," she says in mild defeat, "You know you don't have to act with me, Steve. You don't have to say anything and you don't have to do anything. Not a thing." She turns towards the door, lingering by the doorframe. "Or maybe just whistle," she says, her voice subtly softer, "You know how to whistle, don't you, Steve?" She turns to face him properly, head lowered like a seductress, "You just put your lips together and...blow."--
"Wow."
Sinclair's attention snaps at her mother's voice like uncooked spaghetti, having briefly forgotten she wasn't watching alone.
"What a knockout," Liz sighs, snacking on her popcorn.
"...Yeah," the girl murmurs, fidgeting with the edge of her bowl.
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